Nine
Dawn had not yet broken when Elizabeth began to dress. She knew it was too early, but she could not lie in bed any longer. Mr Ash opened one eye and looked at her but refused to move. Elizabeth closed the door slowly and stepped carefully down the stairs so as not to wake anyone. The last thing she wanted was to have to give explanations for her plans. She left the house in relative darkness; a heavy mist made it hard to see even inches away, but she knew the path even in the dark.
She walked carefully so as not to fall. It would not do to present herself to Mr Darcy covered in dirt. What could she tell him? What did he want to tell her, since he had been the one to suggest the morning meeting? She would certainly reveal her suspicions about Mr Wickham; the rest, she had better not presume, nor set any expectations.
With little light yet to guide her way, she let out a fearful cry when she suddenly happened upon the outline of a man, much sooner than she expected.
“Miss Bennet, I am very sorry that I scared you.”
“Mr Darcy! I was going to my usual place. I expected we would meet there.”
“We should have. I left my horse there but moved closer to the house because of this mist. Would you care to take my arm?”
“Yes, thank you,” she answered, relieved that he could not see her hot cheeks. “Mr Darcy, there is an urgent matter we should discuss before going further. I believe…I suspect Mr Wickham was the one who stole Mr Ash…Milo…and tried to drown him.”
“May I ask how you reached such a conclusion?” he answered in a strangely calm voice.
“I spoke to Mr Wickham a few times while you were away. And he visited us twice… Mr Ash attacked him each time. Then Mr Bingley mentioned your sister had a similar cat, and Mr Wickham replied that it was a darker colour and not so wild.”
“Very perceptive of you. You are right, of course.”
“I am right? Are you sure?”
“Yes…I have the confirmation from the person who plotted with him. A Mrs Younge, my sister’s old companion. A woman who proved to me I can be a terrible judge of character.”
“Oh…”
“The discussion with you brought back some details that I had since forgotten. After I left Netherfield, I went directly to search for Mrs Younge. She first denied it, but she had no other choice but to tell me the truth. She was the one who caught Milo and handed him to Wickham.”
“But why? How is that possible? Is the woman out of her mind?”
“For revenge… Not hers, but Wickham’s. She was only a weak tool in his hands. It was shortly after Wickham came to me demanding I should give him the living, and I refused. When I give you all the details, I hope you will not accuse me of unfair treatment. You see, Miss Bennet, George Wickham was the son of a worthy and loyal man who had managed Pemberley successfully and honestly for many years. My father held him in high esteem and showed his appreciation by taking his son under his wing…”
Mr Darcy continued to speak in a low voice. Elizabeth listened with amazement. Mr Wickham’s lack of honour, his deceptivenature, his insolence in demanding money and then returning to demand even more cause her to feel nauseous. Even with Mr Darcy’s warning, she had never imagined Mr Wickham might possess such a dreadful character, and she realised she might have fallen into his trap of deception too.
“At that time, I had not yet forbidden him from seeing Georgiana, as she grew up with him and considered him a friend. He visited her occasionally. He knew I had purchased Milo for my sister to comfort her after our father’s death. He knew she loved him dearly. So because I refused his demands, he chose this evil vengeance. I never suspected it at the time because my dealings with Wickham were in London and Georgiana was at Ramsgate. I never imagined he might concoct such an evil plan for no other reason than to cause me and my sister more suffering. His revenge was on me, and he did not care who might be harmed in the process.”
“I cannot believe it…how can it be…?”
“However, I am afraid the tale grows worse, and I must trust in your complete discretion, Miss Bennet. This past summer, Wickham crossed paths with my sister again, once more in Ramsgate and also with Mrs Younge’s assistance. He insinuated himself with Georgiana and convinced her to elope with him… If he had succeeded, his revenge would have been complete indeed. Fortunately, I arrived just one day prior to the elopement, and she confessed everything to me. You may imagine that I took every measure to ensure Wickham could never come near my family again. Now, the only means of revenge at his disposal is to spread falsehoods about me and deceive innocent people for whatever advantage he might gain.”
They had long reached their destination and were standing, facing each other. In utter astonishment, she struggled to speak, observing his grieved countenance. She slowly reached out herhand and, with a boldness that mortified her, gently stroked his face for an instant.
“I am very sorry,” she whispered. “What will you do now about that horrible man?”
“You remember when I said I still hoped one day Wickham would improve himself? The fact that he stole a cat and cruelly condemned it to death revealed the real danger beneath his vices. He hurt Georgiana once, then he tried to ruin her. He might be capable of worse if the opportunity arises.”
“I agree. So what is to be done?”
“Mrs Younge was set to leave the country when I spoke to her. Wickham will be arrested later today and thrown into debtors’ prison. Afterwards, he will be expelled from the country too. I shall not take the risk of allowing him to plot freely against my family. I should have done this a long time ago.”
“Perhaps, but your heart was better than his, and your character so noble that you gave him more chances. Now he deserves nothing more.”
“Yes. It will all be over by tomorrow. You should return to Longbourn now, Miss Bennet. It is very cold. I shall call on your father later, with Bingley. This time nothing will interfere, I assure you.”
“I shall look forward to your visit with pleasure, sir. And so will my father.”
“I brought him more books.”
